1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of animal harnesses and more specifically to animal harnesses restraining animal motion during vehicular travel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Animals, especially dogs, are often transported in such vehicles as cars, vans, and trucks. For the animal""s safety, it is necessary, and in some jurisdictions required, that the animal be properly restrained. Several animal harnesses, especially canine harnesses, have been introduced for that purpose.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,979 to Wilson et al. discloses a six-strap vehicular harness for dogs and cats. Three of these straps secure a form fitted pad to the chest (called the brisket) of the animal. A fourth strap passes across the animal""s upper back (or withers) and around a vehicle""s seatbelt to communicate with the chest pad straps. One strap extends upwardly across each shoulder of the animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,018 to Buffs discloses another six-strap vehicular harness mounted on the animal""s upper withers. Four of the straps, running along the animal""s upper front region (called the stifle) of its rear legs, are designed to be secured to the vehicle""s seat belt. This configuration relegates the animal to a sifting position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,541 to Thompson discloses a harness around the animal""s neck and chest that may be secured to the same fastener as that to which a passenger""s seat belt is secured.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,061 to McCullough discloses another vehicular harness mounted on the animal""s upper back and neck and attached to the seat belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,203 to Scott et al. discloses an animal chest harness that may be removably attached to a back frame that in turn can be attached to a seat belt.
The above harnesses all have several disadvantages. First, they all relegate the animal to a sifting position on a car seat. Second, they wrap only around the animal""s neck and upper body. As such, the hind portion of the animal, particularly the lower lumbar area (called the loin) and the hip, remain unsecured.
Third, typical vehicular harnesses tie the animal to a seat belt at only one point. No accommodation is made for when the animal is riding on the floor of a van or truck.
Also, typical vehicular harnesses prove very awkward for securing large animals. By securing only the animal""s upper, forward body region, which is much higher than its center of gravity, these harnesses lack adequate restraint when a sideways or centrifugal force acts on the animal. Furthermore, prior art designs tend to secure animals in a much too confining a manner, not affording adequate opportunity for leg movement.
Lastly, the prior art harnesses are not designed as walker harnesses. As such, in order to use vehicular harnesses, the animal caretaker must either completely remove the animal""s walking harness (thereby increasing the chance for the momentarily xe2x80x9cfreedxe2x80x9d animal to escape), or else wrap the vehicular harness around (or on top of) the walking harness.
There is a need in the art for a vehicular harness that may be used in conjunction with the animal""s walking harness. The vehicular harness should be usable with the animal tied to a flat low friction surface, such as the floor of a van or a truck, while also providing adequate restraint against sideways centrifugal or other forces by securing both the animal""s front and hind portions. The harness should provide the animal with some freedom to move its legs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an animal harness that overcomes many of the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an animal vehicular harness that may be used in conjunction with commercially available animal walking harnesses. It is a feature of the present invention that it comprises a rear harness adapted to be removably attached to a standard walking harness. It is an advantage of the present invention that the animal owner need not purchase a complete separate harness in order to restrain the animal when it is riding in a vehicle. Another advantage is that use of the invented harness in conjunction with a walking harness facilitates full-time confinement of the animal.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an animal vehicular harness that may be used to secure a live four-legged animal to a low friction surface, such as the floor of a vehicle or a truck. A feature of the present invention is a plurality of means reversibly attaching the animal to one or two fixed points. An advantage of the present invention is that the animal caretaker may attach the animal to fixed points inside a vehicle as well as to the seat belts on the vehicle.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an animal vehicular harness that may be used in conjunction with animals of various sizes. It is a feature of the present invention that it comprises a full complement of components that may be adjusted to match the animal""s structure. It is an advantage of the present invention that the animal caretaker need not purchase a separate harness for different sized animals.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an animal vehicular harness that allows adequate freedom of motion to the animal. It is a feature of the present invention that it secures the animal at two fixed points. It is an advantage of the present invention that the animal caretaker need not bind the animal very tightly in order to provide the animal with adequate safety against sideways centrifugal or other forces.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an animal vehicular harness that secures the hind portion of the animal. It is a feature of the present invention that it comprises two hind-leg loops. It is an advantage of the present invention that the animal""s hind quarters are secured independently of the front quarters. Another advantage is that the harness enables the animal to either stand, sit or lie down. As such, the invented harness does not relegate the animal to a single, sentry-type position.